KJIPUKTUK (Halifax) – The Islamophobic and xenophobic far-right National Citizens Coalition intends to once again spread its hateful propaganda in Halifax. And once again Haligonians are asked to join a non-violent and noisy protest to put a stop to it.
Halifax Against Hate, a Facebook group that monitors the rise of hate groups in the city and the province, is calling on Haligonians to join a counter rally when NCA leader Stephen Garvey comes to the Peace and Freedom Park (formerly known as Cornwallis Park) across from the railway station, this Thursday September 12, at 5:30 PM.
“This is a non-violent protest against one manifestation of the white power movement in Canada. Our main goal is to drown out Garvey’s message of racism and hatred,” Halifax Against Hate writes in a Facebook post.
“Once again, let us rally as a community against these agents of white supremacy and show these bigots that their genocidal ideology is not tolerated in Halifax,” the group states, suggesting that counter protesters bring signs and “anything you have that makes noise.”
A NCA visit earlier this summer to Halifax and Truro was thwarted when on both occasions counter protesters made it impossible for Garvey to speak.
That Halifax counter protest, although successful, was marred by dubious arrests of counter protesters and a press release issued by Halifax Regional Police containing misleading information .
See also: How Halifax police wrote the news about Saturday’s NCA rally
This spring, efforts by the NCA to rent a space for its propaganda meetings in Halifax and Sydney failed thanks to community members who contacted the two venues to let them know that white supremacists are not welcome in their community.
Garvey, who lives in Alberta, is running in the Cumberland-Colchester riding in the upcoming October federal election.
His last run, as a candidate for the Democratic Advancement Party of Canada in the electoral district of Calgary Skyview during the 2015 general election did not go so well.
Independent Halifax-based reporter Bonnie Russell recently discovered that Garvey faces two charges under the Canada Elections Act and two charges under the Criminal Code after that earlier effort to win a seat in Ottawa.
Garvey is charged with circumventing, by approximately $26,000, the contribution limit of $5,000 for contributions that he was legally allowed to make to his electoral campaign for that election, and with knowingly providing the Chief Electoral Officer with false or misleading documents relating to the status of the National Advancement Party of Canada.
Two Criminal Code charges for forgery have also been laid against Garvey, who incidentally likes to incorrectly accuse refugees of breaking the law.
Monitor the Halifax Against Hate Facebook event for further announcements, as time and location may change.
See also: Angela Bowden: Be safe mom, and don’t get arrested! Thoughts on policing the NCA counter demo
With a special thanks to our generous donors who make publication of the Nova Scotia Advocate possible.
Subscribe to the Nova Scotia Advocate weekly digest and never miss an article again. It’s free!
